Human trials of a technique with the potential to repair spinal cord injuries are set to start within three years, experts said today.
The work, which could help thousands of disabled people regain movement, will be carried out at University College London’s new Spinal Repair Unit.
The plans were outlined today as UCL launched a £300 million fundraising campaign to boost work across the university.
Professor Geoff Raisman and his team from the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) will join the Spinal Repair Unit to start work towards human trials.
They have already demonstrated that it is possible for severed spinal cord nerve fibres to grow back and restore lost functions.
Prof Raisman discovered that there was one part of the nervous system – a region in the nasal cavity involved in the sense of smell – in which nerve fibres were in a state of continuous growth during adult life.
The researchers transplanted cells from this region into the injured spinal cord of rats and found they were able to integrate into the damaged pathways and lay a “bridge” over the gap in the nerve fibres caused by injury.
The team believe the technique could be transferred to humans, who would act as their own cell donors.
They hope to start clinical trials in humans in the next two to three years